A new administration in Sri Lanka, backed by its President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, plans to investigate how the government handled the cargo ship disaster MV X-Press Pearl, which caused much damage to marine life along its coastlines three years ago. This decision has come in light of allegations of corruption and mismanagement in supporting the affected fishermen.
In May 2021, the Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl burnt off the coast of Negombo, releasing a cocktail of hazardous substances like nitric acid and microplastics into the Indian Ocean. A suspected leakage of nitric acid is believed to have caused this massive fire, killing thousands of marine animals and threatening the livelihoods of more than 20,000 fishing families who lived along the coast.
People have continued to collect washed-up plastic nurdles, the small pellets from which the sea sends the raw material on which so much of modern life is based, and their community wants justice delivered with proper compensation for environmental damage.
A likely date for the beginning of the investigation, after the parliamentary election on November 14 in which his party, NPP, is supposed to do well, was given by Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath: “We will leave no stone unturned.”.
Sri Lanka has asked for compensation of $ 6.4 billion from the London P&I Club that insured the X-Press Pearl. A case was filed in Singapore during April 2023. According to a report by the Parliamentary Select Committee, Sri Lanka has secured close to $12.5 million to date, raising concern over sufficiency.
While close to 20,000 fishermen received some $10 million, trade union leaders claim this is not enough. Most have been given insignificant amounts of money, while many others have not received proper compensation yet, which again is a reason for further negotiations while legal aspects develop.
